The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-04-13
ORR GROVES AND FARMS.


The Acosts Grant Grove In Putnam -Iis
situation. Its History, Its Cost and Its
Production-The Exsrt Figures.
In 1874, ! purchased the DE Acosta
Grant, tract of about ls0 acres, lying
upon the east bank of the St. Johns
River. below Lake George, and east
from and directly opposite Fort Gates.
The tract lies about equi-distant between
Georgetown landing ON the south and
Fruitland landing on the north, and
about one and half mile from each.
The consideration paid was $500 in
cash-there was wild orange grove
upon the tract, located i'm n very rich
hard wood hammock, lying along and
near the shore of the river-it was sup
posed To contain about three thousand
bearing sour orange trees, and | have
become satisfied that large portion of
them were bearing trees at the time Of
the great freeze in 1885; for most of
them appear to have been wholly killed
or deeply wounded near the ground. In
my opinion the tops were killed by the
freeze and sprouts came from the living
part and had become bearing trees in
1874. The hammock was heavily tim
bered with various species of forest
trees. | think the largest hickory (mo-
cher nut tree | ever noticed anywhere.
was amongst those orange trees in that
wild grove. There were very large
weet-gum, soft or red maple, elm,
n In,
the hammock, shading the orange trees.
The hammock was low and very wet,
receiving the soakage from the higher
lands adjoining, 80 that one passing
over it through the grove would need
rubber boots with pretty high tops to
keep dry feet. The whole tract was en-
tirely wild, and much of il heavily tim
bered, and would be very expensive Ia
clear and prepare for cultivation.
There was, and is yet, "A dense cypress
swamp on and aloEg the banks of the
river west of the orange grove, and ex-
tending eastwardly beyond the grove on
its north side. The whole tract was APP
parently as worthless at that time any
other wild lands ON the banks of the
river below Lake George; but supposed
the orange grove could be transformed
into a sweet orange grove, and that
was the object of my purchase.
AS soon as practicable after the title
was obtained the orange trees were cop
ped. that is, the bodies were cut 80 that
the tops would topple over and yet re-
oil xx-a.alI tAan .ra art
from the body below where cut, and as
soon as those were sufficiently grown TO
receive buds or gratis they were budded
or grated from sweet oranges.
Ii soon became advisable to take out
several hundred of the trees, as they
stood too near each other in many places
to give sufficient room for future growth,
and several hundred were taken up and
trimmed very closely and vrey carefully
transplanted in lands adjoining, which
had been thoroughly cleared and well
prepared TO receive them. They were
trimmed SO closely that people passing
would jeeringly ask Mr.. Stearns, as he
was transplanting. We'll, when do you
expect to get fruit from them polesr'
They found out in a few years. For in
about five years from the transplanting,
them poles" bore nearly or quite double
the quantity of oranges, as compared
with AN equal number Of trees which
had been left where nature had planted
them, and have 80 continued. They
have also become much larger trees than
those which were left, and Why
Because, although they were In
soil very much more fertile than
that i'm which the transplanted trees had
been set, yet they were in the shade Of
the thick forest, they could not lie cult
waited, and they had To struggle for sup
port with the roots Of the other trees.
On the other hand. although the soil into
which the trsnsplanted trees had been
set WAS naturally much less fertile il had
been kept in a state Of thorough cultiya-
ton. The sunshine had been unobstruct-
ed and the soil had been enriched by Mr..
Stearns by copious applications Of rich
muck from ponds on the place. and they
had the entire possession Of the soil.
Finding that the transpianted trees
were largely out-growing and out-bear-
ing the trees left in the old grove, about
three years sinse, We conciusissi to let